


beauty lays behind the hills

by chailattemusings



Series: persephone [1]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Fae manipulation, M/M, body horror cw, transgender character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:48:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3260546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chailattemusings/pseuds/chailattemusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will can't count the number of times Xephos had warned him of glamours, the way they seduce and deceive in equal measure all mortal eyes unlucky enough to fall upon them. He could probably rattle off his uncle's usual rant by heart. At least Xephos can take comfort, knowing that Will couldn't possibly succumb to a glamour's tricks.</p><p>...Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	beauty lays behind the hills

Will wasn’t sure when he went from noticing Kirin, from feeling the touches of his green magic and letting himself fall during their meditation sessions, letting himself rely on Kirin's touch and breath and scent, to _noticing_ Kirin.

He'd been told by Xephos that the appearance was a glamour, that Kirin couldn't possibly be as handsome in his true form as he was with his disguise. Will tried to keep that in mind, bustling around the greenhouse and spurting little bits of magic throughout the day to keep himself in practice. He ignored the way Kirin's smile flashed like candlelight, how his eyes narrowed in mirth whenever Will said something he found particularly amusing, even though Will himself had no idea how he'd been so funny. The golden hair, the strong jaw, the wide shoulders, they were all lies. Kirin could look like a writhing mass of vines-- the most extreme stretch of 'green magic' Will could think of-- or have the skin of tree bark. He had no way of knowing, not with Kirin's glamour always up, always strong.

Will could feel it, when he went poking. If he let his magic explore and breathe, he felt the barrier like a crystal shield, reflecting his own magic back at him with a warning flash, a slight burn that told Will not to go sticking his nose where he shouldn't.

The glamour stayed that way, perfect and tantalizing, for a long time. Months passed, summer to autumn, before Will got a taste of what Kirin really looked like. Shortly after Duncan had stopped by to trade some of Nano's dryad leaves, on a day when Will was organizing the herbs and watching the front shop, Kirin emerged from the greenhouse and beckoned him inside.

“And the shop?” Will asked, turning from his task at the shelves as Kirin waggled a finger for him to come closer.

“We have a bell,” Kirin said, and tilted his head toward the door. Will tried not to let his stomach flutter at the way Kirin said 'we' and, failing that, followed the finger beckoning him to the back of the shop, past the wooden door and across the small cobblestone walkway that led to the greenhouse built in the backyard. Will had marveled at Kirin's ability to purchase a shop big enough to also function as a house in the second half, and also had a yard with enough space for his greenhouses.

But then, Will also knew Kirin wouldn't have gotten the property as fairly as he should have.

Kirin opened the door and Will slipped inside, puffing out a short breath at the change from chilly autumn to the warm greenhouse. It was October, not cold enough to be snowing, but cold enough that the people in the city had started wearing hats and heavy coats, their steps across the city sidewalks heavier than they were in the warmer months. Will could feel them in the morning, the distaste stinging on their lips at the biting wind, how their clunky boots rocked the sidewalks into a low vibration.

The last of the cold faded, sneaking under the door and curling into evaporated wisps, when Kirin closed the door. Will turned, brows furrowed. “What's out here?” he asked, and willed his heart to calm down. Glowing eyes and smooth skin, all false and under there a monster was hidden, he knew it, had been told too many times by Xephos.

Kirin grinned, teeth glinting in the hot bulbs of the greenhouse. “You've never seen what the dryad leaves do, have you?”

Will shivered, though he was no longer cold, and shook his head. The electricity keeping the greenhouse warm hummed under his skin, and he bit his lip as he stole a pinch of it, wrapping it around his fingers to melt off the last of the chill that had seeped under his fingernails.

Kirin's own fingers twitched, mirroring the movement, but he turned before Will could think about what it meant, grabbing a bag from one of the plastic shelf racks lining the greenhouse walls.

The interior of the greenhouse was taken up by rows of pots on low tables, leaves bursting over the tops. The ceiling was crowded by hanging plants that got put in the shop to entice customers when they looked their best, vines curling over the edges and blossoms unfolding like trumpeting horns each morning.

The walls, however, were storage space. Plastic black shelves, creaking under the weight of their loads, carried bags of fertilizer and seeds, stacks of pots and spray bottles of water. The shelves were detachable, able to build shelf sets as high as needed, and Kirin had taken his liberties, piling them up until they brushed the undercarriages of the hanging pots. Every time something in the building shifted, Will was sure they’d topple, but they held steady even as the edges of their columns bent inwards.

Kirin took the bag, a woven twine pouch with a drawstring, and pulled it open, strings dangling over his thick fingers as he slid his hand inside, grabbing a handful of its contents; Nano's dryad leaves, mulched down.

Kirin stepped up to one of the many rows of plants. He lifted his head, lips tipping up in Will's direction. “Come,” he said, his voice like a string bass that wrapped around Will, pulling him in. Will resisted only a moment, before stepping close, hands tight at his side as he watched Kirin lift the hand of crushed leaves over a section of basil. The small plants with their thin, long leaves, hadn't been doing very well. The greenhouses never fared as well in the colder months as they did in the summer.

With slow movements, glancing at Will with frosty blue eyes to be sure Will was watching, Kirin tipped his hand, dropping the leaves over the soil at the edges of the basil pots. “There is magic in the leaves,” he said, as if Will didn't already know. “Their life will be given to the soil, and then, to the plants.”

Will harumphed, a quiet noise as he crossed his arms. Kirin's magic was still unfamiliar to him, something intangible that he could sometimes see but could never quite grasp. Kirin wove tapestries in green vines and colored blossoms, and the best Will could see was the ghost of an image, the aftertaste when Kirin spread his magic into the greenhouse and the city. It was a watered down version, a weak sample that barely covered Will's skin, unlike the call of the city itself that pulsed within him and beat with the rhythm of his heart. Or rather, made Will's heart beat to the city's rhythm.

He could feel Kirin in the city, and the city in Kirin, but Will hadn't grasped Kirin himself.

Kirin grinned at Will's noise, turning to face him, the pouch of leaves clutched tight in one hand. “Not impressed?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Can't you see it?”

Will glanced at the basil. “No.”

Kirin laughed, the sound like milk and honey. Will tensed. The glamour was powerful magic, painting Kirin like a deity when Will knew he was only fae, no better than humans despite his talent for magic. Will fought back a blush as he kept staring at the plants, trying and failing to see whatever magic was supposed to be there.

Kirin moved behind him, so quickly that Will jumped. “You have to _feel_ it,” he whispered, bracketing Will's arms with his own, hands sliding down until they curled over Will's fingers, twining them together.

His broad chest pressed into Will's back, thrumming with heat that made Will sweat more than the temperature of the greenhouse, his black boots planted heavily on either side of Will's loafers. “Feel,” Kirin repeated, his chin hovering over Will's shoulder, trapping him.

Will swallowed, but let Kirin guide his hands, brushing them over the top of the basil’s soil, over the dryad leaves spread there. The bits and pieces had sunk in, and Will could feel the pulse, the magic fluttering there like a dying bird. Kirin pushed him farther forward, fingers tight and dwarfing Will's hands, as he pushed Will to the soil, forcing him to dig the heels of his palms in. “The plants take from it,” he said, barely a breath over Will's ear. Will shivered, working through the tremor that shot through him at having Kirin so close.

Glamour. Tricks and lies and a handsome voice that promised nothing but a trap. Xephos had said so, and Will trusted Kirin but he didn't trust himself.

He focused, away from Kirin and that silk voice, looking down at his hands. His nails had slipped into the soil, dirt pressing on his palm, the sharp edges of ground leaves ticking the lines of his hands. Will sucked in a sharp breath, and stopped, forcing himself to breathe the way Kirin had taught him to. In, out, slowly, and he let magic come to him, drifting from his chest and down his arms to his fingertips, curling there like a hot flame that breathed electricity and exhaled shivering wind, the city coiling around Will's throat and settling there, a comforting weight as Will tried to call up the green magic that Kirin claimed to be so permeating.

Kirin's fingers tensed, a small reflex, and Will took it as guidance, mapping out Kirin's touch over his hands as he dug his fingers deeper in the soil, thinking of the dryad leaves and the green magic that had once flowed through their veins, that now trickled down the pots to the roots of the basil plants, feeding them with the energy of a dryad that didn't sleep.

His eyes had closed somewhere in the process, and Kirin's weight over Will vanished as he lost himself to his senses, muscles tense and nostrils flared.

A small tendril, so weak that Will wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been looking, wriggled its way around the roots of the basil. It weaved like a worm, burrowing, and Will followed its path, breathing faster as he felt it trace up through the path it had carved, back to the surface and over the dryad leaves, where other small tendrils flickered and curled, tiny specks of magic crawling into the soil and bursting like fireworks when they hit the plastic barrier of the pot, spreading through the dirt and coating the roots in layers of untapped magic potential.

“So you see it,” Kirin whispered, and Will jolted, out of his vision and back into his body, so fast that he gasped for breath. It stuck in his throat and clogged his windpipe. Will's hands flew from the soil, clutching at his neck, and he struggled to take in air for one, two seconds, before warm fingers clasped his own and drew his hands back, away. “William,” Kirin said, earnest, and Will's eyes finally focused, green flooding his vision, and the blobs slowly formed shapes, plants and flowers and glass walls, until he could see again.

He didn't realize he'd managed breathing until he turned, and saw Kirin with furrowed brows.

“I--” Will swallowed, hands folding close to his chest. “I didn't know what to do, I saw the magic and it, it caught me--”

“Like the city did,” Kirin finished, breathing out a small sigh, lips twitching up. He shifted, stepping in front of Will, and lifted both hands to cup his face. Will flushed red, cheeks burning under the contact as Kirin tilted his face up, forcing Will to meet his gaze. “You're a conduit,” Kirin said, so quiet that Will wasn't sure if the words were meant for him. “But,” he continued, louder, leaning in so their noses nearly touched, “you're afraid.”

Will tensed. “I am not.”

“Yes, you are.” Kirin smiled, eyes crinkling in genuine mirth. “You were so overwhelmed by the city until I helped you channel it, until you knew how it would treat you, and now you run away from green magic in the same way. You fear what it might do to you.”

“It's--” Will stuttered, grasping for the right words, Kirin's hands so hot on his face that he could barely focus. He breathed and he smelled Kirin, forest floors and lush moss and the peeling bark of trees so old that they groaned with the same weight of a skyscraper when the wind howled around them. Kirin's ice blue eyes peered into his own, waiting and watching, his lips parted as he waited for Will’s answer.

“I'm not afraid of green magic,” Will said.

Kirin smiled, one hand rising up to play in Will's hair. Will jolted, wrenching his face from Kirin's touch. “Stop!” he snapped, brushing his hands over the places Kirin had touched, wiping away the caress of bright leaves and soft skin.

Pursing his lips, Kirin stepped back, tilting his head. “Do you not trust me, William?”

“You're fae,” Will shot back, heart beating faster as his mind flailed, trying to grasp any sense of defense against Kirin's traps. “I'm not supposed to trust you,” he said, weaker.

Kirin shifted, sliding a hand over his hip, following the motion of his curious expression until the movement flowed through his whole body. “You would believe the words of others over your own instincts,” he said, accusing, his eyes narrowed.

“I believe the truth,” Will said, nostrils flared and hands stiff at his sides, his heart pounding like a jackhammer. His blood thrummed just under his skin, still singing the song of magic, even magic that wasn't his own, whining for another taste of the green that Kirin had spread over his tongue.

“And,” Will said, swallowing around the sudden thickness in his throat, “I know for a fact that you've been lying to me, every day. I'm not afraid of green magic, Kirin, I'm afraid of _you_ and what I _know_ you’re hiding.”

His words shook as they spilled out of his mouth, and Will regretted them immediately, watching the way Kirin's entire body went stiff. Insulting a fae directly was tantamount to a death wish, and Will could consider himself done, gone, goodbye, never to be seen again after Kirin ripped out his throat for being so callous.

Kirin took a step forward. “Fae do not _lie_ ,” he said, his voice a low rumble, like falling gravel. Will shuffled back and bumped against one of the tables, the pots shaking and threatening to fall. Will wrenched an arm back, trying to steady them, but his fingers fumbled, unable to see with his eyes stuck on Kirin.

“Fae,” Kirin said, “are _intelligent_. We know that we don’t have to lie to get what we want.” Kirin's boots scraped up dirt and moss as he moved toward Will, and Will, trapped against a cheap plastic table, had nowhere to run. The exit was behind Kirin’s bulk, and he could see anger simmering in those fiery blue eyes, lips taut. “So what could you possibly mean, to accuse me of such an act?”

“Y-Your glamour,” Will stuttered, hands catching the edge of the table and grasping as hard as he could. “You're lying, a-about your appearance. It's a trick, and I won't—” He stopped, as Kirin halted in front of him, broad shoulders blocking his view of anything but bright golden hair and a tense jaw, as Kirin looked down at him. “I won't fall for it,” Will said, voice barely above a whisper.

Kirin's lips tipped up in a sudden, relieving smile. “Ah,” he said, as though he'd figured it all out, and he leaned down, arms bracketing Will once again, as he bent down to match Will's height. “So that's what this is about,” he purred.

“What _what_ is about?” Will said, ignoring the heat coming off Kirin's arms.

“You think me deceptive for blending in,” Kirin said, one hand sliding to grasp his hip. “Tell me,” he said, leaning in so their foreheads touched. “Would you like to see what I really look like?”

“What you--” Will stopped, licking his lips. Kirin's eyes were boring into him, icy and sharp.

“It isn't so different,” Kirin said, voice pitched low and husky. “A little shift here, an extra limb there. My body was never a hindrance to me. I simply keep a nice appearance for the sake of not frightening everyone that walks in the shop.” The hand on Will's hip raised up, tracing over his shoulder, down the curve of his arm, to his elbow, and gripped it. It wasn't enough to hurt, but it put pressure on Will, pinning him. “If you see me,” Kirin whispered, moving closer, their lips only inches apart, his breath hot and reeking of roots and mulch, “perhaps you will not be so afraid.”

“I'm not!” Will protested, the sound weaker than he'd intended. Kirin's touch sent his mind reeling, blood rushing further south than he liked. “I'm-- cautious,” he said, taking a sharp breath as Kirin's grasp tightened over his elbow, pushing into the soft spot opposite the bone.

“Do you want to see me,” Kirin repeated, eyes narrowing, “or not?”

Will looked at him, peering into Kirin's bright eyes, tracing down to the lips so close to his own, red and round and inviting. Will had wanted to kiss them for too long, had wanted _a lot_ of things for too long, fighting what he knew was fake. “Yes,” he said, looking up again. “Yes, I want to see you.”

Kirin grinned, and stood straight, releasing his hold on Will's arm. He watched Will as he stepped back, moving away from the plants and shelves, to the open space just in front of the greenhouse door. Will swallowed and pushed off the table, taking tentative steps toward Kirin. Kirin raised a hand when he was a few steps away, and Will froze, heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the sweat in his palms, and clenched his fingers, breathing hard through his nose.

Kirin's body could look like _anything_ and Will had thought he would never see it, that he could leave the curiosity unsatisfied. Now Kirin stood before him with a quiet grin, resting his hand at his side and standing with his feet apart. His lips parted, breathing softly, and Will swore he could feel a wind on his face, like the gentle breeze through a forest, but then he saw Kirin's glamour fade and he couldn't think about anything but what his eyes were seeing.

Kirin's image flickered, shifting, until the color of his skin started to wipe away. It smeared and dripped, falling into nonexistence, and underneath, the color was dark. Not black, but the deep blue of the night sky, shimmering like dewdrops as Kirin shifted, as if shaking away the last vestiges of his old skin.

When Kirin opened his eyes, there weren't just two, but _five_ , taking up each side of his face and blinking with long eyelashes down his cheeks and around his mouth, one delicate eye placed in the center of his forehead. Will's breath caught, and he skittered backward, nearly stumbling in his haste to escape.

A hand clasped his wrist, and Kirin brought his back up, holding Will tight as his other hand curled over Will's shoulder to hold him steady. Will flinched, jerking away. “Y-You-- You're--”

“A faerie,” Kirin said, as though it were as simple as calling Will a human. “This is part of what my glamour hides, what you are so afraid of.”

“It's--” Will struggled to move his lips, to form the words that could describe how Kirin looked. His skin glittered again, shining with each subtle movement, and all five of his eyes were bright like the morning sky, watching him. They blinked in unison, a small comfort in the wake of the change.

Dark blue like the night under the stars, and cerulean, the sky on a sunny day, the open air itself manifested over Kirin's body. He was strange and inhuman, magic fluttering over his skin and trickling down to slither over Will's palm and shoulder where Kirin still touched him, exposed in a way Kirin never was when he kept a human appearance.

It was _gorgeous,_ and Will wanted nothing but to stare at Kirin for hours.

He blushed, turning away. “You kept your word,” he said, unable to thank Kirin or even admit how much he liked it. He _shouldn't_ like it, not the way his dark skin shone under the greenhouse lights, how his blond hair struck him even more in contrast, the flutter those sparkling eyes sent to Will's gut despite there being far too many of them. It was wonderful and Will hated himself for how much it didn't repulse him, how much he still wanted to kiss Kirin even though his lips weren't rosy anymore.

“That tells me nothing,” Kirin said, laughing, his shoulders rolling with the movement. “What do you _think_ , Will? Does my body revolt you?”

Will looked up, brow furrowed and lips pursed. Fae couldn't lie and humans _could_ but Will had never been a good liar, from the first time he'd met Kirin and insisted he was fine after stumbling his way into the shop, trying to escape the city's harsh grip. “It's nice,” he managed, fumbling even with that much.

“And?” Kirin asked, eyes, all of them, narrowed in amusement. He moved closer, into Will's space, crowding him. Will backed up automatically, breaking Kirin's hold on him, and Kirin didn't follow, simply continued looking at him with those piercing, blue, numerous eyes. “William,” he said quietly. “I've seen the way you look at me.”

Will's head snapped up, a blush creeping into his cheeks. Kirin chuckled and lifted a hand, bringing it slowly closer to Will, until it ran over his cheek, its fine hairs and soft skin. Kirin's hand wasn't the right texture, had a rougher quality to it, like the surface of a reed's stalk. Will inhaled, eyes shutting, breathing in the scent of moss as Kirin ran his thumb over the curve of his jaw. “You like this,” Kirin said, fully confident in his words. “Yet you refuse to admit it.”

“I--” Will stopped, as the pads of Kirin's fingers traced up to his hairline, running through the fine blond strands. It sent shivers down his spine, heat pooling at the base of his gut. “I'm not supposed to like it,” he said, and bit his lip. Kirin's hand was in his hair now, carding through it and tugging the hairs just enough to give Will a slight pain that ran in tandem with the heat and nerves, sparking under his skin.

“I thought so.” Kirin brought his other hand up and slid the first away from Will's hair, both of them cupping his cheeks and trailing down his neck. “Why is that, Will? What do you find flawed in me?”

That question was easy, drilled into Will since he was a child and strengthened by Xephos' tirades when he'd arrived in the city. “It's not human,” he said, staring at Kirin's dark skin and bright eyes. “You're fae.”

“Your point?” Kirin laughed, moving his hands down Will's shoulders, over his chest. Will flinched, and Kirin moved them, over his biceps and curling gently around them. “William,” he chided, clicking his tongue as he leaned closer again, bussing their noses. Even that much contact made Will's breath hitch, and Kirin stopped before the lips Will shouldn't be thinking about had touched his own. “You deny yourself this because of what I am?” Kirin said. “Rather judgmental, don't you think?”

“No!” Will clenched his teeth, but he didn't have the strength or desire to rip away from Kirin again, hands heavy on Will's shoulders, magic seeping around his feet where they ground into the soft dirt floor, tendrils he couldn't see winding around his shoes. “I'm-- human,” he said, and breathed hard, seeking the words out, turning away to stare at the floor and avoid the gorgeous eyes boring into him. “Humans don't belong with fae. Y-You're not-- natural looking.”

Kirin gasped sharply, but it was a fake sound. He was putting on airs, and Will looked up with a raised brow as Kirin grinned down at him. “How judgmental _indeed_ , William,” he said, and one hand moved up, tracing lightly over the pulse point on Will's neck, pressing in enough that he could feel it. The heat in Will's belly kickstarted, boiling into a fire, and Will swallowed a whine, wishing he could grind against something to relieve the pressure building there.

“Will,” Kirin murmured, and finally came close, tilting his head up and pressing a kiss to Will's forehead. Against the skin, he said, his breath brushing across Will's skin, “Where do your standards of beauty come from? Why do you think me unnatural?”

“My standards . . .” Will furrowed his brow but didn't dare move, afraid of dislodging Kirin.

“Do they come from movies, magazines,” Kirin said, and Will could see where he was going, had heard the arguments against Hollywood and the media's portrayal of what was attractive.

But this wasn't--

It wasn't about _beauty_ \--

“It's not that,” Will said, and did look up that time, pushing Kirin off him as he tilted his head back to meet his eyes. Seeing the eyes again, so many, made Will jump, and he shook of the suddenness of it, the strangeness. “You aren't--” he tried, and stopped, taking in a quick breath to start over. “I'm not supposed to be attracted to you,” he said, and went stiff as Kirin's eyes narrowed into slits. “Fae and humans aren't meant to be together,” he added, repeating what Xephos had told him over and over, how fae were dangerous and it was best for humans to stick together.

Nevermind that Xephos’ husband was a dwarf, but it was better than conniving fae, Honeydew had said, defending himself when Will had tried to poke holes in the argument. “I shouldn't find you as-- as attractive as I do,” Will said, stumbling as he let his own desires slip, flush creeping back into his face and burning almost as hot as the fire Kirin had stoked in his belly.

Kirin tilted his head, nostrils flaring for a moment, and the hand on Will's neck pressed harder, curling until Kirin had his fingers braced around Will's skin, holding him there. “My dark skin,” Kirin said, his voice low. “My eyes, more than you have.” He stepped closer, their chests touching, hips brushing against each other. “It's all unnatural, all repulsive. Except it isn't, is it, Will?” His lips quirked up, hair falling over his forehead as he bent to match Will's height. “Who dictates your attraction? You, or everyone else you've met? Do you trust their opinions more than your own instinct?”

Will parted his lips, ready to say no, and stopped. Kirin was staring, eyes wide and attentive, and the hand on his neck was warm, pushing in and sending heat down his throat every time Will swallowed. It coupled with the heat of the greenhouse, seeping under his shirt and over his cheeks, a fire burning him from the inside out.

His first reaction to Kirin was to recoil, to shy away from his inhuman nature. But when Will thought about it, _really_ thought about it, he didn't want to. The deep blue skin with its strange texture, hard and warm, and the eyes, so bright they could blind him, all five blinking at once as they waited for his answer, all made Will's breath hitch.

He couldn't hate how it looked, not when it was so fascinating.

“M-My instinct,” Will stuttered, gathering the courage to ignore the hot hand on his neck and look Kirin in the eyes, “says that-- that you're not a monster.”

Kirin tilted his head. “And?”

“And . . .” Will straightened his posture, leaning in slightly to Kirin's touch. “You're right,” he admitted, breathing out a hard sigh, eyes closing to avoid how Kirin might look at him. “I've been attracted to you for a while. But it isn't right to be with a faerie.”

“Ah, the prejudice again.” Kirin leaned in, touching the tips of their noses. At least _that_ was normal, and Will didn't have to worry about some wolf or deer's snout pushing at his face. Even as he thought that, though, he caught himself. Was there a reason he cared enough even about a detail like that, to dismiss such a possibility?

Kirin moved his face back and forth, rubbing their noses briefly before he pulled back just enough to look Will in the eye. “I have been nothing but kind to you,” he said. “No tricks. Do you really think your attraction isn't deserved, or correct? Is there a _true_ reason you reject me?”

Will sucked in a breath, his chest tight. “I--” He stopped, fumbling again.

“It's all right,” Kirin whispered, his breath ghosting over Will's face, as his hand came up to cup his cheek again. “It's okay not to know,” he said, and moved, over to Will's other cheek to place a gentle kiss there. Kirin's lips were the wrong texture, harder than human lips, but they were still warm, and Will's face stained with a blush as Kirin kissed him again, nudging, urging Will to respond.

Fuck it. Kirin had out logic-ed him. Will didn't have a reason to care anymore, not when Kirin's lips were quickly tracing down to his jaw and the pulsing heat stirred in the base of his belly was blazing hot.

Will gasped and let his hands come up, hesitating at Kirin's shoulders, before grabbing on. His fingers curled over the thick muscles, digging into Kirin's shirt, and Will tilted his head back to give Kirin access to his neck, submitting to him.

He should have been worried about Kirin ripping his throat out, but any protests were quieted when Kirin laughed quietly and pecked a gentle kiss over Will's neck. He moved both hands to Will's hips, cradling him as he pushed them closer.

Will was so dizzy so fast, he almost missed what Kirin said, and had to blink. “Huh?” he asked, opening his eyes groggily.

Kirin lifted his face from Will's neck, teasing at his jaw again before kissing his cheek. “I said, is this what you want?”

That could have meant a myriad of things, but their hips were pressed flush and Kirin's big hands were wrapped around Will's waist like two anchors, holding him there, and Will couldn't imagine what the hell else Kirin would want.

“Yes,” he said, turning to look at him, breathing slowly to shake some of the confusion away. “Yes, I want this.”

Kirin growled, low and pleased, and brought a hand up to curl over the back of Will's head, tangling in his short hair. “Good,” he said, and bent down again, this time pulling his lips back to nip lightly at the skin. Will jumped and hissed, but Kirin followed the bite with a soothing tongue, wet, and rougher than a human tongue, giving it a gentle lick, and Will relaxed, letting Kirin do as he pleased.

He kissed liberally, and between the gentle gestures, Kirin bit, just enough to give Will a jolt before Will relaxed again with the soft swipes of his tongue that followed. He pulled slightly at Will's hair and the jerking motion should have hurt, but the sting of it only sent more heat down to Will's belly, coiling between his legs like a hot telephone wire, ready to spring the moment he let it.

It could have been minutes or eons when Kirin finally stood straight again, towering over Will, and quirked his lips. “I imagine this would be more comfortable in a bed.”

Will tensed, and swallowed. “No,” he said, surprising himself, but pushing on as Kirin raised a brow. “I want it here.”

Kirin smiled, all five eyes narrowing in his mirth. “Very well.”

Will yelped, as Kirin's strong hands slid down from his hips to grab under his thighs, hoisting him up. Will's legs wrapped around Kirin's hips automatically and _shit_ he could feel an erection, pressed hot into the curve of his thigh. Will bit his lip, eyes shutting as Kirin held him up and then Will's stomach bottomed out as they fell down.

Kirin had leaned back, legs folding under him, and rolled them onto the greenhouse floor. A thick bed of moss softened their tumble, and the breath was knocked out of him as he was thrown forward, over Kirin's chest.

It might have made more sense to have carpeting or plain dirt below the multitude of tables and shelves in the greenhouses, but Will had liked the moss from the first time Kirin had shown him the small glass buildings, sitting side by side behind the shop. Now, Will could feel the spongy texture under his knees as he braced himself, shoving two hands out against Kirin's ribs to push back and up, until he was sitting in Kirin's lap.

Kirin grinned up at him from the floor, before sliding a hand behind him and shoving, rocking Will back as he sat up. Kirin reached a hand out to catch Will by the shoulder, keeping him from falling again, and let his fingers trace over the dip in Will's spine, underneath his thick sweater. “Like this?” Kirin asked, grinning.

Will snorted, even as a blush crept up his neck. He couldn't feel Kirin's erection anymore, his own legs spread wide over Kirin's thighs, but when he glanced down, he could see it, pressing against Kirin's jeans. Will swallowed. “This is good.”

Kirin's other hand curled over Will's neck, drawing him in, and Will barely had time to look up before Kirin pulled them close, pressing their lips together. Will's brain short-circuited, synapses frying the moment Kirin's lips touched his own, and yet he felt everything in hypersensitivity, not even breathing as Kirin wound his hands over Will's neck and parted his lips.

They still weren't the right texture, something rough to the quality of Kirin's skin, but his lips were warm and wet and that was all Will really cared about. He cried out a moment too late for it to be an appropriate reaction, Kirin already pulling back to kiss harder, slanting their lips together. Kirin chuckled at the noise, and Will felt his tongue dart out, thick and strong, teasing Will's lips until he opened to Kirin.

All the while, Will's hands flexed in his lap, fluttering and unsure. As Kirin pried his mouth open and slid his tongue over Will's lips, one of his hands came down to cover Will's, thumb rubbing across one of Will's palms. Will couldn't help the groan that escaped as Kirin held him in place and took his mouth, and sooner than he wanted, Will was rocking against Kirin's legs, working his hips to try and get extra contact.

The silent plea didn't go unanswered for long. Kirin huffed a breath through his nose and broke their kiss, licking one last time at Will's lips before he looked Will in the eye. “Anxious?”

“Been waiting too long,” Will mumbled, fingers tensing in Kirin's grip. The electric pleasure boiling inside him was spinning and tight, and he could feel how hot he was, how much he needed to be touched. Will had been pining over Kirin since he'd come to the shop and seen how handsome he was, denying himself as soon as he learned that Kirin was a faerie.

He hadn't expected Kirin's fae form to be so appealing, and if he was going to throw caution to the wind, Will didn't want to wait any longer than he had to.

Kirin purred, growling low in his throat, and slid his hands over Will's hips, digging his fingers into his soft skin through the sweater. “Can I?” he asked, teasing a finger under the hem.

“Fucking-- please.” Will leaned back to give himself room, breathing hard as he reached for the edge of his sweater. The last time he'd taken off his shirt in front of someone like this, Will had been fidgety, scared. And he was scared now, but it was the good kind, the fear that forced him to keep going because he had nothing to lose at this point. Kirin hadn't hurt him yet; Will didn't have many reasons outside what everyone else told him, to believe that he would.

Will shucked his sweater and the t-shirt underneath, and hesitated.

“Ah.” Kirin's blinked once, a hand coming up to thumb at the seams of the muscle shirt that had been tucked under Will’s layers.

“Don't,” Will said, breath hitching when Kirin looked at him again. “I want to keep it on.” He could feel the way the shirt moved tight on his chest as he breathed harder, and Will met Kirin's eyes, begging.

“Of course.” Kirin let go of the shirt and took hold of Will's chin, bringing him in for another kiss. Will sighed into it, opening his mouth immediately, shivering as he felt Kirin's tongue brush over his own and lick into his mouth. Kirin's hands ran over Will's back, uncovered from the thick sweater, and pushed into his muscles, digging in his sharp nails. Will grunted and frowned into the kiss. Had Kirin's nails been that long before?

Kirin bit his lip, and Will hissed as teeth scraped over the sensitive skin, thrashing slightly in Kirin's lap. “Shit, this is-- fuck.” Will panted and shifted, trying and failing to get any friction between his legs. His thighs were spread too wide over Kirin's thighs and the slight pressure of his pants rubbing over himself did little to help. “Kirin,” he said, and opened his eyes, brow furrowed.

The hands over Will's back curved up to his shoulder, holding him, and the world turned upside down again. Will yelped until he felt soft moss, yielding under his back, and Kirin's hands slid out from underneath him to brace on either side of Will's head, Kirin hovering above him.

Will barely had time to blink and stare at Kirin before their hips were together again and Kirin was grinding down on him. Will’s breath hitched, and he moaned, throwing his head back and working his hips up. “Kirin, god.”

“You're so good against me, William,” Kirin purred, leaning down to nuzzle Will's cheek. “So full of life, full of magic.” As he pushed his nose to Will's cheek and laid gentle kisses there, lazily working his hips and sending Will's flushed body further into arousal, Will took a moment to feel himself out.

The call of the city usually bothered him even when he slept, invading his dreams and reaching into his mind, asking for favors and acknowledgment, a bit of his time and power, until Will had to force it out by casting a ward, something he hadn't had to do while living in the countryside. He'd gotten good at defensive magic soon after meeting Kirin, out of sheer necessity.

Will hadn't heard the city since coming into the greenhouse. Though he gasped as Kirin tilted his head back, licking at his neck again, he couldn't help part of his mind searching out, looking for the familiar weight of metal and exhaust and the sparking electricity that hummed through the wires and gave the city life.

It was there, faint and rolling in waves of stone and the breaths of a thousand people, but then Kirin grabbed Will's hair and made Will look at him, and the small snap of magic was gone, replaced by Kirin and heat and the greenness of the plants and magic around them, wrapping around Will's neck like a vine and nearly choking him.

Kirin's skin was still blue and his eyes were still shimmering, as he looked down at Will and petted through his hair, but the shirt still clinging to him was an immense distraction. Will brought a hand up from the soft moss to grab at a sleeve. “You too?” he asked, struggling to get enough air down his throat.

Kirin glanced at Will's hand, and back to his face, smiling. “It's only fair.”

Will laughed, letting his head fall on the moss at the thought of a faerie being _fair_ , but Kirin leaned up, careful to keep his weight off Will, and pulled up the edges of his shirt, yanking it over his head and tossing it aside.

It was anything _but_ fair, to see Kirin with a chest that broad and muscles that thick over his arms. Will pursed his lips, wondering just how much of the glamour Kirin had taken down, if those muscles were really his.

“You don't look pleased,” Kirin said, laughing as he settled over Will again and cupped his face in both hands. Kirin's shoulders jostled with his laughter, and it was a true effort for Will to tear his eyes away from the heavy body laying over him.

“I'm a bit jealous,” Will admitted, swallowing. “And not sure how you can be so handsome.”

“You flatter me.” Kirin grinned, teeth flashing, and bent down to kiss Will. He kissed slow, languid, and his fingers played under Will's jaw, teasing the edges of his ears and across his hairline. Will sighed and brought his hands up, stroking Kirin's thick shoulders and round stomach. At least he wasn't built like a bodybuilder; Will hated the look of people with more muscles than actual body mass.

Kirin's skin didn't feel any more normal than his lips when Will touched over it, still too rough, like a soft tree bark, but it was warm and gave under his hands. Will hummed into Kirin's mouth and ran his hands where he pleased, over Kirin's side and belly, and down his back to rest at the base of his spine. Will thrust his hips up without thinking, seeking the extra contact, his fingers stopped at the edges of Kirin's pants. Will stopped as he pushed at the fabric. “Can I--” he started, and then Kirin sat up, smiling down at him.

“I think we would both be more comfortable,” he said, and lifted his leg up and over Will, standing up to start playing with the buckle of the belt. Will lay on the moss ground and watched, wide eyed, as first Kirin's belt came undone, and then his zipper, and then Kirin pushed his pants down and away, not even bothering to leave his boxers and instead standing beside Will with hands on his hips.

Will sat up a little, swallowing. “Wow,” he said, and tried not to groan at his own inelegance.

Kirin's legs were thick, a fine down of hair on them to match the thick hair over Kirin's arms, as golden blond as the hair on his head. His skin there was just as blue, deep and shimmering. Will half expected to find an extra appendage, thinking of all the times he'd thought he felt Kirin touching him, only to turn around and find Kirin standing several feet away.

But there was none, only Kirin in a humanoid form with blue skin and shining eyes, all five staring down at Will. He bent down, slowly, getting on his knees and shuffling until he was back over Will, hovering above his thighs. Kirin's hands went to Will's belt, and stopped. “Yourself?”

That Kirin would even _ask_ made Will blush. He'd almost hoped Kirin would take his pants off without question, remove Will from the decision making process. Will licked his lips, his tongue too thick for his mouth, and turned away as he said, “You can, but, uh. Don't expect much.”

A laugh rumbled through Kirin at that. “You're my apprentice,” he said, and Will turned back to catch him grinning. “I can only expect the best of you.”

That grin did unholy things to Will, lighting the sparks of desire, boiling like the friction of train tracks against the railway line. Will dug his fingers in the moss ground, digging dirt and moss leaves under his nails, and he nodded. “Okay.”

Kirin shifted up, keeping his weight off Will. Will glanced between his legs, almost disappointed by how normal Kirin's cock looked, but then Kirin was undoing his belt and Will's breath hitched, legs spreading unconsciously to help the process along. Kirin hummed his approval, quickly disposing of the belt and working on Will's zipper.

Soon his pants were loose and Kirin was working them down Will's legs, though he left Will's boxers alone. Will lifted his hips to let Kirin slide his pants down and off, and the warmth of the greenhouse hit his bare legs, curling around his toes. Will closed his eyes, letting the magic seep over him again for a moment. It was a comfort, to feel it there, to know Kirin was with him in all ways and that Will only had to breath and focus to find it. Even if he couldn't control the green magic, it helped, to feel it brushing over the edges of his mind.

Kirin cupped his cheek, and Will opened his eyes, looking up. Kirin's other hand had curved over Will's hip, his heavy palm rubbing the exposed skin just above Will's boxers. “Beautiful,” Kirin said, leaning down to catch Will's lips. His tongue sought Will's lips immediately, and Will moaned, letting Kirin guide him back to laying on the moss, feeling his weight settle over Will as Kirin swept his tongue across Will's teeth.

Time didn't seem to matter, inside that little greenhouse, and when Kirin broke the kiss, Will wasn't sure if it had been minutes or hours, only knowing that his lips were swollen red and that Kirin was moving again, grabbing his thighs.

“What--” Will started, and squeaked, as Kirin's hands hooked under his knees and lifted his legs up. Kirin released him once Will's feet were firmly planted on the moss, and he grabbed the edges of Will's boxers. They were dark green, and Kirin smiled briefly at the sight, before his eyes flicked back up to Will, questioning.

Will nodded, and gasped, as he felt the fabric slide down his hips, over his legs, tossed away somewhere that Will couldn't bother to pay attention to, because as soon as they were gone, Kirin had taken his legs up again and was spreading Will, sitting between them and breathing quietly, all of his eyes going half lidded.

“Kirin, I . . .” Will tried to say something, and trailed off, the words failing him.

“Shush,” Kirin said, glancing up at Will's face, and back down. One hand still covering Will's thigh, nails digging into the skin just enough to remind Will of where he was, Kirin's other hand went to his belly, tracing over the softness and running down. The tips of his fingers tickled, and Will squirmed as Kirin ran his hand down to Will's groin, and turned his hand around to cup him softly.

Will was already wet, he could feel it. Kirin's fingers ran over his folds and traced around his cock. Will clenched and hissed through his teeth. It'd been a while since anyone had done that.

If Kirin had expected anything different from Will, he didn't show it, simply dug his fingers in a bit harder and rubbed over Will's cock with his thumb, his fingers already slick with Will's arousal. “Pretty,” he murmured under his breath, and looked up, his eyes catching Will's. “A very cute little clit.”

Will frowned at that, the word pinging through his mind and sticking uncomfortably in the back of his throat. He turned his head away, mumbling.

“What?” Kirin sat up a little, leaning closer. “I missed that.”

“It’s my _cock_ ,” Will said, louder than he’d meant to, and gasped quietly at how his voice rang through the greenhouse. “Don’t-- don’t call it what you just did.”

Kirin’s eyes narrowed, and he breathed once, hard, through his nose. “Your cock,” he repeated, looking between Will’s legs, moving to thumb over Will’s cock again, as if matching the words with the image. “So,” Kirin purred, as Will squirmed at the firm brush of his thumb, “what do you like?”

“I--” Will swallowed. He hadn't stopped to think about it, to decide what he wanted Kirin to do. Will laid his head back on the moss for a moment, blinking at the harsh lights in the ceiling. He borrowed a bit of their warmth, inhaling sharply as he stole a bit of neon and let it cover his exposed skin, seeping underneath and warming him from the inside out. It was a comfort, even if the greenhouse was already hot, to add that extra bit of fire and keep it there where Will could feel it, reach into it and touch it.

Kirin lifted his hand and grabbed Will's other thigh, and god, Will could feel how wet Kirin's fingers were, his thumb pressing into him. Kirin shifted to sit up, blue skin glittering, eyes blinking slowly. “Have you been with anyone before?” he asked, gentle.

“Of course!” Will's head shot up, and he braced his arms underneath him to sit up a little and look at Kirin properly. “I've been with people,” he said, and flushed, thinking of his days back home. He hadn't met anyone in the city, too distracted by the pulsing magic and cries of the buildings, but he'd had enough classmates and friends growing up.

“Then what do you like?” Kirin repeated, moving an inch closer and rubbing his hands down Will's legs, over his hips. The muscle shirt kept Will's chest covered, wrapped up, but Kirin still ran a hand over it, tracing over the fabric and pressing in to let Will feel the heat and strong muscles in his hand.

“I like . . . touch,” Will said, licking his lips as he looked for the words. “No penetration,” he added, as an afterthought, looking warily at Kirin.

Kirin chuckled, teeth poking out from between his lips, and Will swore they were sharper than before. The sight was gone just as quickly, as Kirin wrapped his hands over Will's hips, bringing himself up to cover Will again, this time lining himself up so his cock pressed on Will's labia, and then he ground down, pushing on him.

The pressure sent bolts of fire up Will's spine, and he groaned, falling back on the moss. Kirin leaned in, brushing his nose over Will's cheek, and kissed just in front of his ear, as he worked his hips down again, grinding and pushing, and the firm shaft of his cock was right on Will's slick skin, pulsing and hot. Will gasped, hands coming up to grasp again at Kirin's shoulders.

“ _This_ kind of touch?” Kirin asked, and laughed, turned his head to catch Will's lips. Will kissed him easily and thrust his hips up, meeting Kirin's movements, rubbing over him and spreading his slickness over Kirin's dick.

For a half second, Will feared that Kirin would ignore him, would try to penetrate despite what Will had said, but Kirin kissed away his worry and slid his tongue into Will's mouth while he continued to grind and push their hips together. The fire coiled tight in Will's belly wound tighter, ready to spring, and he could feel the electric pulses of pleasure centered right on his cock, where Kirin was thrusting, too good and not enough, and Will canted his hips up again, begging wordlessly.

One of Kirin's hands left Will's hips, moving between his legs, and Kirin rubbed his cock again, moving his thumb around it in circles, shifting his hips to push himself in the soft spot where Will's thigh met his groin. His fingers rubbed through Will's folds but never entered him, and Will relaxed with a heavy sigh, legs twitching as Kirin's thick fingers rubbed over him, sending sparks through his skin.

Kirin broke the kiss as he panted, mouthing down Will's jaw, fingers never stopped their work as they pushed and rubbed over Will.

For a few minutes, that was all Kirin did, touching Will and thrusting himself against Will's skin, letting them both enjoy their casual company. Will could feel drops of precome on his skin where Kirin pressed the head of his cock, slicking over his stomach. Kirin grunted a few times, eyes focused on Will but nearly closed, lost in the rhythm and movement. The touch of his calloused fingers made Will squirm, but it wasn't enough, he needed more. The pressure had been good, the wide spread of Kirin's shaft against him, and Will made a soft noise, looking at him.

Kirin stopped, breathing hard over Will's neck, and shifted to look down at him. “Hm?”

“I need--” Will stopped and swallowed. He didn't want to be demanding, not after Kirin had accommodated him like this, never once questioning him, but it didn't seem fair if Kirin was the only one who got off, either. “More pressure,” Will managed, letting go of Kirin with one hand to grab his wrist, turning Kirin's hand and pushing his palm flat over Will, grinding the heel slightly over his cock.

Will bit his lips, eyelashes fluttering, and looked at Kirin again. “Please.”

Kirin grinned, pushing down again, and the warm, wet skin dragged over Will's cock _so_ nicely. Will groaned and let his head fall back, hips rising to meet Kirin. The wide touch let Kirin's rough skin slide completely over him, rubbing his cock back and forth. Will's toes curled and twisted in the moss as he arched, groaning.

Kirin tucked a hand under Will's chin, tipping it up to slot their mouths together as he kept grinding his hand over Will, the tinge of pleasure shooting from Will's cock down his legs and into his stomach where it wound tighter, and Will breathed faster into Kirin's mouth. “Fuck,” he muttered as Kirin broke away, eyes screwing shut. “Kirin, I'm close, _please_.”

Moving over him again, Kirin kept his hand on Will, adding pressure as Will's gasps and moans pitched higher. Leaning over Will with his hand still between Will's legs, Kirin put his own hand over his cock, squeezing in tandem as he kissed Will again. A low, guttural noise fell from his throat, easily swallowed when Will parted his lips and swept his tongue over Kirin's.

The pressure was too good to last forever, and Will turned his head, breaking the seal of their lips as he arched again, neck straining as his head dug into the moss, an embarrassingly high-pitched moan falling from his mouth. The coiled heat snapped free, white-hot pleasure singing through his blood, making his legs shake and hands tremble where they still clutched at Kirin's skin. All the tension broke at once, a wave crashing over him, and Will lost his breath as Kirin kept pushing the heel of his hand over Will's cock, sending little bolts of aftershock through him even after the orgasm died down.

“Ah, William,” Kirin said, and the growl that came after it was the only indication that anything had happened. A moment later, Will opened his eyes, and saw Kirin grasping his own cock, other hand still on Will, and a splash of come on the mossy floor of the greenhouse.

His blood was still pounding, and as Will slowly came back to reality, he could hear the sounds of the wind outside, banging on the greenhouse's glass walls. It curved over the roof and begged to be let inside, seeking to wrap its claws around any creature it passed over, to wind around the life of the city. Will had heard the call of the cold winds on too many days walking through the city, fighting off its icy edges and harsh touch.

As Kirin sat back, breathing hard, Will's eyes went wide, and he scrambled to sit up. His legs were still shaky and his muscle shirt hadn't exactly helped with the entire sex situation, wrapped as tight as Will could manage on his chest. He swayed as he sat up, breath catching in his throat, and Will spent a moment leaning on his elbows, legs still spread obscenely, to get himself together.

Kirin quirked an eyebrow at him. “Are you all right, Will?”

“The shop,” Will managed, and sat up, more balanced. He closed his legs and tucked them under him, then flinched at the way the position pushed his thighs together, and spread them back open a bit. “You left it open,” he continued, looking at Kirin, who hadn't bothered to put his glamour back on even now.

“Ah, that.” Kirin shrugged. “I would have known if someone had come in, but no one did. Regardless, we _should_ be getting back.” Kirin pushed his legs underneath himself and stood, shaking bits of moss from his body. Will tried not to audibly swallow as he took Kirin in again, how his muscles moved under the still dark blue skin and his hair fluttered around his face.

He couldn't really use the excuse of being enchanted by Kirin's glamour, anymore.

Kirin pulled his clothes from where they'd been discarded on the floor, and tossed Will's to him. Will took them and got up, pulling on his underwear and pants, and paused, his t-shirt hung over his elbow. “Uh. Kirin?”

“Yes?” Kirin looked up from fastening his belt buckle. Will jolted when he saw his eyes, only two now. Kirin was putting his glamour back up, anticipating the rest of the work day.

Will shook his head to focus, and took a deep breath. “Was this . . . what _was_ this?” He bit his lip, looking at Kiring and flexing his hands as he worked on getting used to the sight of his two eyes again.

Kirin smirked and stepped close, raising his hands as the color of his skin changed, melding against itself as it turned to something closer to human, dark cream mixing with blue, the shade returning to something that didn’t shimmer quite so bright under the harsh greenhouse lights.

His hands cupped Will’s face, and Kirin bent down, kissing Will. His lips had the soft, plush texture of human lips again, the last of the blue fading from his skin as Will closed his eyes. He grabbed Kirin’s wrists, inhaling sharply, letting his breath out slowly as Kirin pulled away, tilting his head up to look Will in the eye.

Somehow, Kirin’s two eyes were dimmer than they had been when there were five.

“This was an intimate moment between two friends,” he said, one hand sliding down so his thumb could trace over Will’s bottom lip. “You are _more_ than welcome to indulge again in the future.” Kirin paused, glancing at the greenhouse door, rattling on its hinges from the wind outside. “It might be wise not to do it during shop hours again, though.”

Will managed a laugh, even as Kirin turned his gaze back and his piercing blue eyes sent another roll of heat through Will’s stomach. “Probably wise,” he said, his voice quieter than he’d intended. He blinked, and his eyes drifted down, settling on the sticky stain across the moss floor where they’d just been lying. Surprisingly normal looking, for faerie come. Will had half hoped it would sparkle like glitter.

“Should we clean up?” he asked, shrugging his shoulder toward it.

Glancing behind himself, Kirin laughed and shook his head. “Natural fertilizer,” he said, eyes crinkling with his smile. He turned back and pecked another quick kiss to Will’s lips. “Let’s get back to work,” he murmured, running his hands down Will’s neck and shoulders. Kirin’s hair was still disheveled and his shirt was ruffled, but other than that, he showed no signs of just having had sex on the mossy floor of his greenhouse while his shop stayed untended thirty feet away.

Will coughed and grabbed his shirt, flicking it once to unfold it and pulling it over his head, snatching his sweater from the floor when he’d pulled it on. “Yeah,” he said, once dressed, running fingers through his hair. “Work sounds good.”

Kirin flashed his teeth in a playful smirk, shuffling close to Will and grabbing his elbow to guide him toward the door. Will gasped as the wind howled over his head, but a moment later, Kirin moved close and bent over Will, shielding him from the wind for the short walk back to the shop, opening the door for Will and quickly shutting it once Will had stumbled in. Will shivered, running his fingers over his arms to shake off the brief cold.

“It’s getting close to winter,” Kirin said, glancing out the window in the back door, eyes lingering on the two greenhouses. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it snows soon.”

“In October?” Will snorted, shaking himself out to dispel the last of the chill. The shop wasn’t as warm as the greenhouse, but it had good heating, working the bite of the wind from Will’s skin and replacing it with a comforting warmth that settled like a well-worn sweater over his shoulders.

Turning from the door, Kirin huffed out a short breath. “Don’t doubt the city, Will. The snow will be here before you know it. Among other things.”

Will’s head snapped around, but Kirin had already turned, grabbing one of the hanging pots from the hook bolted in the ceiling, setting it on a table as he brushed his hands over the fern-like leaves. A pulse of magic beat from Kirin’s fingers, scattering over the table, and Will closed his eyes, breathing deep.

Green magic hadn’t felt familiar to him before coming to Kirin’s shop, but he’d felt it all too well in the greenhouse, under Kirin’s touch, and he felt it now, as Kirin encouraged the potted plant to stay green and healthy under the wake of the harsh autumn setting into the bones and alleys of the city. Will bit his lip to stave off his questions, instead stepping closer to Kirin. He peered over his shoulder, watching Kirin’s fingers play with the leaves, and though he couldn’t see it, he could feel the small trails and hints of Kirin’s work as he wound it around the greenery.

Not for the first time, something wrapped over Will’s ankle, brushing just where the hem of his pants ended. Will flinched, but when he looked, he saw nothing but Kirin’s own body standing next to him, and he glanced up to catch Kirin turned, lips quirked up with amusement. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“Uh. No.” Will swallowed, and shook his head. “Could you, um, tell me what you’re doing?” he asked, and pointed to the plant between Kirin’s fingers.

Kirin hummed, and nodded. “Of course. You’re my apprentice, after all.”

Will shuffled a half inch closer, eyes attentive on the plant pouring out of its pot, and the way Kirin brushed his fingers under its leaves.

He’d seen Kirin drop the glamour and satisfied his own morbid curiosity. It was probably long overdue for Will to start paying attention to the relevant aspects of Kirin’s magic, the green touches he saw every day and, before now, hadn’t bothered to try and learn.

Will had spent too long noticing Kirin, and not enough time noticing his magic.

 


End file.
